Funeral

Judy Pursifull

Welcome/Prayer

Good Morning everyone.

My name is Zach Klundt, I am a pastor here at Freshwater.

Today we have gathered to remember and celebrate the life of Judy Pursifull.

Today we celebrate a life that was full of love and kindness, a life that was lived to the fullest.

Based upon Judy’s profess of faith that she made, we can rest assure that Judy is no longer suffering, but she is in the presence of the Lord.

Free from pain, the challenges and problems of a human body, that just worn out.

We mourn because we miss a loved one, but Judy is finally home.

We are the one’s who aren’t home yet.

So this morning we want to remember Judy, the wife, mother, sister, grandma, and friend and we want to celebrate what we loved most about her.

Today we also want to say good-bye to a dearly loved woman

And lastly we want to focus our hearts on the Lord who conquered death and is our source of hope and strength.

As we begin today let us go to the Lord in prayer:

Prayer:

Dear heavenly Father, we gather today to remember the life of Judy. We also gather together as family and friends to say goodbye and reflect on the memories of her. We are grateful for her love for her family who find comfort in you and in one another. We pray that your peace and presence will be upon us today and we pray this in Jesus precious Name, Amen

Reading of the Obituary

Judith Ann Pursifull (61) of Fulton, Missouri passed away on November 2nd, 2024. Judy left an indelible mark on the lives of those she encountered with her kindness, compassion, warmth and care. Born on December 4th, 1962 in Mexico, Missouri, Judy graduated from Mexico high school and went on to become a renowned floral designer. For over 3 decades, Judy crafted beautiful floral arrangements for various different occasions across Mid- Missouri, earning numerous awards for the work she did. She had the honor of decorating the governors mansion in Jefferson City, Missouri for many years on several holiday occasions. Her passion and love for what she did was evident in every piece she created, bringing joy and solace to many during significant moments of their lives. Judy was a remarkably kind, caring and compassionate individual who had an innate talent to effortlessly make others feel loved. Her genuine approach and dedication were evident not only in her professional life, but also through her love and devotion as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She is survived by her loving husband Mike Pursifull; son, Stephen Sharti; daughter and son-in-law, RaeAnna and James Jeffries; grandsons, Beau, Kal, and Smith Jeffries; sisters Dee Dee Stratman and Tammy Lederlee Martin, along with many beloved nieces and nephews. Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy and Raymond Heilwagen; brothers, Gary Ray Heilwagen, Don Wayne Heilwagen, and Jeffrey Lee Heilwagen; and sister, Kristen Sudbrock. Judy's life was lived as a testament to showing love and care to others. Her legacy of warmth and love will continue to inspire those who were fortunate to know her. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all who knew her.

Song: Praise the Name— Shane and Shane

Scripture/Testimony

I would like to share with you a passage of scripture this morning to think on and then I am going to invite Mike Pursifull up share about his wife Judy.

Psalm 23 CSB

A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

I would like to invite Mike Up to say a few words.

Song: Glorious Day— Casting Crowns

Message:

I think we can all agree this morning that we never have a enough time with those who pass away.

At the end of someone’s life we are often left with a similar wish of wanting more time.

This is the case for Judy Pursifull as well.

She left her family behind as she came face to face with Jesus.

Judy knows the truth of what happens when you leave this earth.

For she knows what perfect love looks like.

and as Judy left this world she came face to face with her savior, Jesus.

And if she could tell us what it was like when she died— She would tell us about the great love of Christ.

And the hope today that I want to offer is that you are also so incredibly loved by God.

Often times when we attend a funeral, we start to wrestle with questions about our own morality, and what will happen when our time is up.

How will we be remembered.

In talking with some of the family, you all have given me an amazing picture of who Judy was.

Judy was described as the glue to of the family.

Judy was so strong, taking on not one round of cancer but two—defying the odd and overcoming it once and living twice as long as the doctors told her she would.

She was fierce in how she loved not just her family but her friends as well.

She loved deeply, never meeting a stranger, she lived her life as a kind, sweet, thoughtful, creative person.

She had an incredible ability to arrange flowers.

I had no ideas flowers could look that good.

And seeing the flowers here today, I believe that Judy would be proud of these flowers today.

The ones in the hospital not so much.

Judy loved her husband Mike, and her kids and her grandkids.

I heard a story about how on the day before she got really sick, she was watching her grandkids, and she was running around the house joyful, and she had so much energy and life.

It is as if, she had one last great day.

Judy was special, and she would go out of her way to make every holiday special.

Sending floral arrangements to school with notes in it to her kids.

Judy always knew what to say and she loved others so well.

And Judy was loved by so many.

I would encourage everyone in this room to continue to tell stories of Judy.

That is one way we get through the valley’s.

While we are sad today, I am reminded that it is as we look around we are all sad, but there is something worst out there then being sad, it is being alone and sad.

No one in this room right now that is alone.

Family and friends you have each other.

This is what Judy stood for— her family and her friends.

So remember her often, celebrate her life, and know that today you are not alone in your pain.

And even in your pain know that there is also some one who care more deeply about you then even Judy would have.

And that is Jesus—

I want to share with you just a final word of about the life of Judy and her Savior.

Judy had a savior, and His name is Jesus.

Judy was able to meet death peacefully knowing that she would be with Jesus.

Loved ones, as much as Judy, is loved and cared for by everyone in this room.

God loves her more.

He has known her since she was in her mother’s womb and He knew all of Judy’s years on earth even before they were lived out.

And the hope today that I want to offer is that you are also known by God.

And he loves you more then anyone else

I would like to share you just a little bit more about God’s love for you this morning.

In John 3 it says this:

John 3:16–18 CSB

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

Jesus was speaking to a religious leader here named Nicodemus.

Nicodemus was a very wise man.

And Jesus is explain lots of different things to his leader, who just was not quite understanding his need to be saved.

Nicodemus did not grasp his need to be born again.

To be saved, or even what that means, or who to keep his faith in.

Jesus tells him about how God moved first.

God so loved the world, that he gave up his one and only son to the world.

He gave Him up.

Jesus become someone who would stand in the gap for us.

Jesus even refers to a story we find in Exodus.

John 3:14–15 CSB

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

There was a curse that was placed on the Israelites God people in Old Testament.

These snakes came out was started to bit the people.

They were venomous and deadly.

Many people died, unless they looked to Moses— who stood in the gap for them.

When the people lifted their eyes to Moses they were saved from the bites.

And Jesus is telling Nicodemus that if he would lift his eyes to the Son— he would be saved.

It’s an acknowledgement that we need someone to save us.

To stand in the gap for us.

And this is what our perfect savior Jesus did.

He positioned himself to be the one we look too.

The one who took our sins.

The one took on our punishment.

The one who stood in our place.

This would have been shocking to Nicodemus.

He thought all was good.

And that he was good enough to get to heaven on his own actions.

It is not what you do, it is who you know—

Judy was an amazing person yet that is not why she is with Jesus today, it is because she knew her savior Jesus.

And this morning you may find yourself like Nicodemus, thinking that all is well and not fully understanding your need for a savior.

Our sin

Our faults.

You see this is what separated us from.

and sin can only be paid for by death.

We cannot pay for our sins on our own.

So God sent Jesus, Jesus came and died in our place— he took our punishment and pinned it to a tree and claimed it is finished.

There is no greater love on this planet then what Jesus did for us on that cross, that he laid down his life for you and I.

The author John, tells Nicodemus that He can have eternal life— all he has to do is believe in him, to look to Jesus.

Paul would later write about how we can obtain salvation in their lives.

Dear loved ones you can experience this love from Jesus today.

Romans 10:9–10 CSB

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Put your hope and your trust in Jesus, the only one who will never let you down and whose love cannot be overcome.

I believe that if we could have just a bit more time with Judy today, this is what she would have wanted everyone to know here today.

That there is a God and she believed in Him and she placed her hope in Jesus.

This is the Gospel and gospel means good news, and today be encouraged that Judy trusted the Gospel, and know that she would want you to trust in the Gospel as well.

Pray with me:

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we gather today to remember the life of Judy. We gather together as family and friends to reflect on the memories we had with her. We are grateful for her love for his family who find comfort in you and in one another. We pray that your peace and presence will be upon us today. Lord if anyone today wants to take that first step of faith and call out to you I ask that you soften hearts and hear our cries today— Thank you for today and continue your hand of comfort on all of those in this room. Amen…

Song: There will be a day- Jeremey Camp

Conclude:

This concludes our service today.

There is a lunch for the immediate family following the service, in the courtyard.

There will be a celebration of life held at the V.F.W. in Fulton, Missouri on Saturday November 16 beginning at 1:00 PM and ending at 4:00 PM.

Thank you all for coming today, the family will be up front if you miss to speak to them.

Thank you.

Song: The Story I’ll tell